Travel with your children, not against them.

Air Travel

April 18, 2008

How's this for progress? A recent USA Today analysis finds that air travel is slower today than at any time in the past two decades. Due to gridlock both on the runways and in the airways, planes are moving slower at every phase of the trip. In 2007, the average flight traveled at 342 mph (which includes time spent both flying and taxiing), 16 mph slower than the 1998 average of 358mph. That might not sound like much when talking about traveling over 300mph, but consider that your average trip from Chicago to Phoenix will now take 20 minutes longer, 40 minutes round trip.

And, if we're talking averages, you know that means there are also extremes. For example, the average flight from San Jose to New York Kennedy now takes a whopping 2 hours and 52 minutes longer than it did in 1998. I'd say that's pretty extreme.

So, what are we to do with this information? Unfortunately, there's not much we can do, other than realize it's going to take even longer to get from point A to point B, and plan accordingly. With that in mind, here are some ideas on how to spend that extra "quality time" on board with your family:

Eat, digest, get hungry again. Repeat.

Turn the game "20 Questions" into "200 Questions."

Pack 4 more books, 3 more snacks, and 2 more toys. And an extra set of patience. Or earplugs.

April 09, 2008

Remember when Travelin' Dad and I touted scheduling flights during your infant's nap time? Sometimes TJ would fall asleep for a blissful 25 minutes on the plane, and we could both breathe a sigh of relief. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that there comes a time when your toddler will likely refuse to nap on an airplane. I've done an informal poll with my girlfriends, and somewhere around 18-24 months, the world of flying on a plane just becomes too interesting for kids to sleep through.

TD and I learned this lesson the hard way, having to make it through two flights during TJ's usual naptime, in which he refused to sleep. Read: he was cranky, whiny, and required constant stimulation/attention. So, after your child reaches this magical age, I would actually recommend flying in the mornings. Most toddlers take one nap a day, around noon or one. If you fly in the morning, your child will generally be in a good mood and not tired. Once you reach your destination, you can still try the afternoon nap. Or, if your toddler is too excited about their new digs (as TJ often is) to sleep, at least you can go out and explore your new surroundings. Better to deal with the effects of a missed nap while exploring a new city than it is while trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet.

March 17, 2008

I, like pretty much everyone else, have always hated flight delays. Since TJ came into the mix, however, I've progressed from hating flight delays to fearing even the thought of them. Because, while travel delays are no fun regardless of who you're traveling with, you take suffering to a whole new level when you have to entertain a young child in the airport or, even worse, while stuck on the tarmac. For these reasons, a while back I wrote about some strategies for avoiding airline delays. I even managed to put some of those strategies to good use in my own travels.

Now, I've recently discovered a new weapon to add to the on-time arsenal: Delaycast.com. Before booking your tickets next time, log on to Delaycast and enter your departure and arrival airports, your departure date, and the hour of your departure time. Delaycast will then predict the chance of flights meeting those criteria departing on time, as well as how many minutes on average you can expect to be delayed, and the odds of your flight being outright canceled.

How do they do it? According to their website, Delaycast's "estimates are based on predictive modeling technologies that model historical patterns in flight delays and project them into the future." Delaycast concedes that "all predictions and profiles are produced by the models, and as such, are never 100% accurate. Nevertheless, the insight provided beyond the airlines' schedules will help most travelers avoid troubles." Music to my travel-planning ears.

March 14, 2008

TJ is fast approaching the age of those little kids we see dragging their cute little rolly bags around the airport. I always wonder what exactly's in those things. I'm guessing teddy bears, Elmos, and dolls that are too precious to risk in checked baggage, for fear of being sucked out of the plane. But, can you actually get your little kid to pull his or her own weight? In other words, to actually carry some of their clothes or other necessities, thus reducing the parents' ever-increasing load?

Maybe you can, now that there's Trunki, a sort of animal-shaped (horse? bull?), wheeled, plastic, carry-on suitcase that children (the site says ages 3 to 6) can either pull themsleves or ride along on through the airport. I haven't tried one, but (at $39.99) I'm pretty tempted, as I can see kids getting excited over something that looks more like a ride or pet than a boring old suitcase. They've even got names-- Terrance is the blue one and Trixie is the pink one.

From the boring adult's perspective it also seems pretty practical. The website's FAQ's say that Trunki measures 18" by 7.9" by 12", has a 5 gallon capacity, and weighs only 3.8 pounds. It'd be interesting to see just how swiftly and smoothly you can pull your kids through the airport on a Trunki. If the little video they play on the website is any indicator, it looks pretty easy. I'll be keeping my eyes out in the airport to see if I can catch any Trunkis in action.

March 05, 2008

Congratulations! You made the decision touted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the safest way for kids under two to travel on an airplane-- you decided to purchase a seat for them and bring the car seat on the plane. Now what do you do with the darn thing? Travelin' Dad has fought this battle many times, and we have a few tips (from the FAA website and our experience combined) to help make traveling with your car seat go a little more smoothly:

Check the manual before you leave home and make sure your seat is FAA approved. In fact, you may want to throw the manual into your carry-on. Once we had a flight attendant question whether our car seat was FAA approved. Your seat should have "this restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" printed on it. If it doesn't, you may be asked to check the car seat as baggage (which would defeat the whole purpose of purchasing an extra seat).

Review how to install the seat into an airplane in the calm and quiet of your home. As Travelin' Dad knows, it is tough to work under pressure when passengers are trying to board all around you and your wife and kid(s) are smushed into the tiny space of the row in which you are trying to install the seat. He refers to this exercise as a travel version of "beat the clock."

Don't be afraid to ask for help from a flight attendant if you really get stuck. They're usually more than happy to help. In fact, they may not-so-subtly offer help if you're creating a gridlock of boarding passengers.

Be prepared that many airlines insist the car seat be installed in the window seat (so it is not a barrier to people trying to exit). Also, say goodbye to exit rows and the row in front and behind the exit row when traveling with a car seat.

Just like in the car, if your child is less than 20 pounds, place the seat facing the rear. From 20-40 pounds, you can place the seat facing the front. Let the games begin when you face the seat forward - TJ's feet almost touch the tray table of the seat in front of him, and of course he finds it an irresistible game to kick it constantly. I take his shoes off during the flight to soften the blow of his kicks.

If all else fails, do your best to properly tighten the airplane seat belt into the frame of your car seat, and then put an extra hand on the seat to stabilize it during take-off and landing (no offense to Travelin' Dad's handiwork). Remember, even if the process seems a little inconvenient, you can rest assured that you are doing to safest thing for your child by reserving an extra seat and strapping him into the car seat for the flight.

March 03, 2008

The TSA began testing a "self-select" lane pilot this week in the Salt Lake City airport, with further testing soon at the Denver airport. In short, passengers can "self-select" one of three security screening lanes through which to proceed. The TSA describes these lanes as follows:

"[T]he green lane is for families traveling with children or people who need special assistance. These folks may not travel that often and need extra help with the procedures and assistance navigating security. The blue lane is for casual travelers who are somewhat familiar with the procedures and have multiple carry-ons. The expert, or black diamond lane is for those who know the procedures well and always arrive at the checkpoint with appropriate items removed and limited carry-on luggage."

First of all, how many government press releases use the word "folks"? Second, regardless of designations, I don't see this choose-your-own-line system being too successful. Would people voluntarily label themselves a "casual traveler" and choose a slower lane, instead of an "expert traveler" who can use a fast lane? This is America. Don't we all think we're above average at everything? We may not travel that often, but we feel perfectly capable of handling the "expert" line, unlike those other "casual" travelers over there. . . . Of course, I'd be willing to swallow my pride if the "casual traveler" line was shorter than the "expert" line. Which leads to the next point-- if people are "self-selecting" which line to join, do you think the 20th business traveler isn't going to jump in the family line of six people? In other words, it'll be the same game we've always played: choose the shortest line possible.

Admittedly, I've come down a little harsh on the TSA once or twice before. This time, I think their heart's in the right place. I'll also concede that Travelin' Mom and I take more time than, well, pretty much anyone when we have to get TJ, his accoutrements, and his Sesame Street posse through security. And it would be nice to feel that we're not holding up others who could move more quickly. For that reason, I can see where a designated security line for families and those needing special assistance would come in handy. But, for now, these lane designations carry less authority than the "10 items or less" line at the grocery store.

So, unless you really are a "beginner" traveler, you'll most likely do what you've always done when heading to security screening: choose the shortest line.

February 01, 2008

When figuring out whether it's worth using miles to purchase a flight, the common rule of thumb has been that one mile equals two cents. So, using the standard 25,000-mile-for-a-free-flight equation, you'd be getting your miles' worth for tickets valued around $500. Of course, people will frequently dip under that number for flights closer to $400 because, well, $400 is still a lot to shell out for a ticket. But, at some point you'd want to draw the line. For example the rule of thumb says that using miles to purchase a $300 ticket only gets you 60% value and thus is a poor deal. Or is it?

A few months ago, a Wall Street Journal article discussed the frustration travelers feel regarding the current state of frequent flier programs and how difficult it is to obtain free flights through miles. Not exactly breaking news, I know. But, one interesting part of the article discussed how the huge amount of miles available through various programs has devalued each frequent flier mile. According to the article, Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com, estimates that the good-value standard for a free flight is now 1.2 cents per mile.

So, if 1.2 is indeed the new 2, then a 25,000 mile ticket values at exactly $300 and, suddenly, your bad value is a pretty good one.

Although this information is useful for any traveler, it's especially important for traveling families. Why? Because we have more tickets to buy and more decisions to make about when or when not to pull the trigger on using miles to defray trip costs. Two $350 tickets from Chicago to Phoenix may not sound so bad, but when you're buying three or four tickets, you're now looking at $1400 just to get to your weekend getaway. Cashing in for a free ticket or two may make that price tag more palatable. Likewise, the new, lower miles value may encourage you to cash in miles to get your lap baby a seat (more enjoyable for everyone, not to mention safer) or even sway the take-the-kids don't-take-the-kids debate on certain trips.

I admit to having a bit of seller's remorse each time I cash in my hard-earned miles for a free flight. I always worry whether I got a good deal or whether they'd be more useful to me for some trip further down the road. But, knowing that the value of my miles is sinking faster than the U.S. dollar will make me a little less hesitant to pull the free-trip trigger in the future.

January 18, 2008

It’s hard enough to keep track of your own frequent flier miles, hotel points, and various other loyalty program goodies.If you’re the family travel planner, you may also be charged with keeping track of your spouse’s and kids’ reward accounts.I’d call it a thankless task, but learning that your toddler just paid for his own seat with his frequent flier miles is a pretty good thanks.And, in this age of airlines shortening the mileage expiration time period, it’s more important than ever to keep on top of your family’s accounts.

That’s why I came up with the brilliant idea to create a website where, once you input all of your loyalty program information, you need just one log-in and password to access all of your family’s various accounts.In fact, my idea is so brilliant, it's already been executed.Several times.

Here are three options to explore for keeping track of your families frequent flier miles and hotel points:

MilePort Mileage Manager. MilePort is a free product from frequentflier.com. Once you download the software, you can track account data from 121 different online loyalty programs.

Miletracker.Miletracker is a free downloadable application brought to you by USA Today. It claims to track "more than 120" frequent flier and loyalty programs. So, maybe Mileport literally does it one better.

MileageManager.Mileagemanager differs from the other products mentioned in two main ways. First, it's not free-- you pay $14.95 for an annual membership. Second, rather than downloading a program for use on your personal computer, MileManager is web-based and does not require a download. While the other sites tout the safety of your account data only being downloaded to your personal computer, MileManager sells itself as simpler (no downloads required) and more portable (because it's web-based, travelers can access their information from any comptuer).

This isn't an exhaustive list of loyalty program trackers, but these are three of the main options. I haven't spent enough time with each program to do a detailed compare/contrast, so that will be coming soon in a future post. I'll have that up just as soon as I finish work on my next great invention-- it's an oven that cooks things like ten times as fast as a regular oven, using something called "microwaves." I haven't figured out what to name it yet, but stay tuned. . .

January 11, 2008

There are several good ways to prepare your child for his first airplane flight, or even subsequent flights. There's the good ol' fashioned "talk to him about the trip" method. There are also many books telling kids what to expect when they fly, such as Richard Scarry'sA Day at the Airport, Airport, Going on a Plane (First Experiences), and the aptly named We're Going on an Airplane!All good stuff, as your travels will go more smoothly the more your child understands where you're going, what's going to happen, and what's expected of him.

But, there's one gift TJ received for Christmas that has quickly become our favorite travel prep prop: The Little People Lil' Movers Airplane. Almost immediately, TJ started chartering pretend flights to destinations he'd been before. Then we'd discuss what the passengers would do when they got to a specific destination, who they might see there, even what food they might eat ("Pizza" for New York, "Chuy's" for Texas. I'd say he's got the basic idea.). So, then we extended the game to include upcoming trips.

He now knows he's going on a plane to "Ara-zo-na-na" in a few weeks, where, according to TJ, he'll see "cacti", "dip chips" in salsa, and hopefully, "swim- pool." He hasn't mentioned Daddy racing to the bottom of a fishbowl-sized margarita, but that's really not essential trip prep info.

So, if you're looking for a fun toy that will also help prepare your child for an upcoming trip, give the plane a try. Although I will warn you, it's not all fun and games with the Lil' Movers Plane. Due to freshly cleaned floors, yesterday's pretend trip ended in an ugly incident where the plane skidded off the runway and collided with a full LeapFrog Phonics Bus, flipping it over. Fortunately, the plane passengers and all three frogs on the bus survived. But, I don't think poor Lilly will ever play the guitar again.

December 14, 2007

I've been meaning for some time to write about the CARES harness. If you're not familiar, it's an FAA-certified harness that children one and older (and between 22 and 44 pounds) can use on an airplane in place of a car seat. The harness weighs only one pound and easily installs on your child's seat. Despite constantly whining about my difficulties lugging TJ's car seat through the airport, I inexplicably haven't purchased one yet (I guess I need the airport workout). But, I've seen them in action and they look as effective as they are convenient.

The great Family Travel blog revisits an earlier discussion we had about car seats and air travel safety and poses an interesting new question: Would you pay a little more for your plane ticket to cover the airlines' expense in stocking their cabins with some CARES restraints for passenger use? I'll give my two cents over there, but my main point is that the cost would be incredibly minimal. If you have an opinion on the matter, please join in.

November 20, 2007

Before Travelin' Junior came along, Travelin' Mom and I had a strict carry-on only policy, making it easy to go standby and bypass luggage lines. Post-TJ, we carry enough gear to outfit a small arctic expedition, forcing us to join all those we formerly mocked in the checked luggage line. Making matters worse, we only have so many hands (TJ isn't doing much heavy lifting at this point) to carry the stroller, car seat, and carry-ons (all while corralling TJ), so we pack for three in one giant suitcase.

Although three in one bag is no problem size-wise, it's a little trickier weight-wise. Thanks to the airlines' 50-pound suitcase weight limit, we routinely play the carnival game of guessing our bag's weight before heading to the airport. Of course, if the guy guessing your weight at the carnival misses, he owes you a cheap stuffed animal. If you guess your suitcase weight wrong, you may be shelling out $50 or more to the airline.

Fortunately, as with most games, this one gets easier over time. I barely even need to do the ol' weigh-yourself-then-hold-your-bag-on-the-scale trick anymore. On a recent return from New York, our bag weighed in at an even 50.0 pounds. It was all our gate agent could do not to applaud.

For those who don't want to deal with the weight-game hassle, or just like any gadget they can find, Ricardo Beverly Hills actually makes a suitcase with a scale in it. I'm not sure how popular it is, since I've never seen one in my travels (believe me, I'd notice). I'm also not sure how durable the device would be after a couple of baggage handler beatdowns, but it's an interesting idea.

Should you eschew the suitcase scale route, keep in mind that some begging may get you an essential extra pound. We had our bag packed to weighty perfection on our return from Austin, Texas last week when my friend dropping us at the airport handed me the 800-page book I had loaned him last year. Since I really did want the book back, I toted it along and hoped for the best. Our bag originally weighed in at 49.5. When I placed the book on top of the bag, the scale hit 51. The AA gate agent must've seen my dejected look, because she said we were close enough and let me throw the book in the suitcase. My shoulders and neck cannot thank her enough.

There's of course one obvious alternative. Just pack less. I guess I need to retrain myself on packing light. Fortunately, there's a good primer website available.

November 15, 2007

We've unfortunately heard a lot of news lately about the TSA's inability to detect bomb components during airport screening (unless they're tipped off first, that is). Now, the latest frightening development: the Government Accountability Office conducted covert tests at 19 airport checkpoints earlier this summer and was able to smuggle liquid explosives and detonators past security at each one. The Associated Press report details some discouraging examples, including:

On March 23, a TSA screener would not let one investigator through a checkpoint with a small, unlabeled bottle of shampoo, even though it was a legitimate carry-on item. But the same investigator was able to bring through a liquid component of bomb that would start a fire.

On May 8, an investigator placed coins in his pockets to ensure he would receive a secondary screening at the checkpoint. But after doing a pat-down and using an electronic hand wand, the screener was not able to catch the prohibited items the investigator brought through the checkpoint.

Doesn't exactly give you that warm holiday-travel feeling, does it?

For anyone wondering whether it would be less risky just to drive your family to your holiday destination, there is some good news. More cars made the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's safest cars list than ever before. Of course, I don't think the IIHS tested the likelihood of family members strangling one another during the car trip, so you'll have factor in that part yourself when making the fly/drive comparison.

November 06, 2007

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how TSA screeners at some airports had failed miserably at detecting decoy explosives, missing between 60% to 75% of the decoys. Well, it seems the TSA lacked confidence in its screeners' abilities long before those results came out. The Associated Press reports that, in an April 2006 e-mail, a TSA official warned a dozen recipients, including airport security staff, about an upcoming undercover security screening test. The e-mail included descriptions of the testers' physical appearance and alterations they had made to their travel documents.

Once this information became public, the TSA responded that they are "confident in the overall integrity of the program" and that tip-offs are not a systematic problem because they "do so much testing." Frankly, I think the easier response would've been, "If we were cheating, do you really think our test results would be this bad?"

October 29, 2007

Travelin' Mom and I became more sensitive to airline ticket prices once we had to purchase a ticket for Travelin' Junior, which basically increased our flying costs by by 50%. So, we were happy to discover farecast.com. Farecast.com has been winning accolades for well over a year now, from Time Magazine's 50 Coolest Websites list to the Web 2.0 award for best travel site. Basically, farecast gives you an informed prediction (based on statistics they've collected) as to whether the fare for a particular flight will go up or down in the next seven days. Most of us play the fare prediction game every time we book travel, and it sure is nice to have a little help now. Put another way, if you had a website that told you which way the stock market was going next, you'd be logging on, wouldn't you? Well, farecast may not handle stocks, but it might save you a little extra dough to cover your investment losses.

More specifically, along with an impressive array of data (check the site out yourself to see all the bells and whistles), farecast will give you a bottom-line tip as to whether to wait on a fair or purchase it now. In case you think they're flipping a coin to decide, farecast also gives you a rating (1 to 100%) as to how confident the site is in its prediction. You'll also see how the current low fare compares to the historical low fare for the past 90 days. All good stuff.

And now, as if farecast already wasn't going to win some type of travel Nobel prize (what? that doesn't exist?), the site added another great feature. This feature, still in "beta" testing format, will allow you to better evaluate hotel rates. Just put in your desired city and the dates of your stay and Farecast will create a list of available hotels, color coded to tell you if you're getting a "deal" rate, "average" rate, or "not a deal." (the polite way of saying "gouged.") You can also narrow your search by number of stars, hotel amenities, hotel brand, location, etc. This hotel search tool is especially handy because, while you may have an idea what airfare rates usually cost from your home airport to various destination, you probably haven't spent much time following the ebbs and flows of hotel prices in various cities. If you have, it's time to seriously think about finding a hobby.

All that being said, farecast isn't perfect. Farecast doesn't cover every airport or hotel city (it currently handles 75 home airports for flights and 30 destination cities for hotels.) Also, it seems the airfare and hotel tools only predict out about 90 days, when many of us shop earlier than that to earn the best fares/rates. And, although I haven't seen any type of disclaimer on the website, I've got to imagine that, like in the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of future results. But, it's a helluva lot more information than we'd be armed with otherwise.

October 24, 2007

Before I had kids, I put little thought into what I threw into my airplane carry-on. Some gum, a trashy magazine, a novel, maybe an eye mask so I could catch some zzzzs. Now, I write a list five days before the trip, go shopping three days before, pack the bag the night before, and double check it the morning of. I’m sure you’ve been burned by the "oops, I wish I packed some more wipes" syndrome. So, I’ve put together a handy reference list for moms to consider next time they are packing:

1. DO NOT pack anything for yourself other than your wallet and cell phone. You have no room for Cosmo, and your entertainment will be trying to keep your child happy.

2. DO pack lots of healthy snacks for the little ones. Some favorites: Gerber Graduates Fruit & Veggie Puffs, Gerber Graduates Mini Fruit (100% dried fruit), and Kashi Heart to Heart cereal. Try them in a snack trap, so the kids can eat at their own pace without littering the aisles too much. Other big hits include Earth’s Best Sunny Days Snack Bars(apple or strawberry, mmm), deli turkey for protein, and string cheese (throw these last two into your insulated bottle bag).

3. DO NOT pack messy/stinky foods like bananas, and try to avoid fast food like McDonald’s at the airport.

4. DO pack a bottle/sippy cup (or two) with milk, breast milk, formula, or juice (note: according to TSA, baby formula and food, milk, breast milk, and juice are allowed in "reasonable quantities" exceeding three ounces, and are not required to be in a zip-lock bag) - sucking especially helps ease ear pain on take off and landing. Similarly, if your child is into a pacifier, pack it.

5. DO NOT pack enough diapers for the whole trip - you need to conserve space and go easy on your back! Depending on the length of your flight, only pack 2-3 max. You can buy the jumbo pack of diapers once you reach your destination. Also, a travel changing pad is a good idea - most airplanes do not have a changing station. One flight, my son would have been changed directly on the toilet seat lid were it not for my handy pad.

6. DO pack a change of clothes for your child. No matter how well those Huggies work at home, the airplane is bound to be the one time there is a blowout.

7. DO NOT pack toys with too many little parts (like puzzles) or toys that make noise. Most of your neighbors will be annoyed the second they see you head for the seat in front of them - don’t give them anything more to work with.

8. DO pack something old, something new. Something old: pack a favorite blanket, lovie, or small stuffed animal for your child to sleep with and a favorite book with peekaboo flaps. Something new: check out the $1 section at the front of most Targets for cheap flash cards (we love the animal ones), coloring books, or pick up a new book at Barnes & Noble.

9. DO NOT pack a bulky pack of wipes. Rather, pack one of the smaller bundles that often come free with the jumbo box of diapers. Throw in extra wet ones (to swipe down the arm rests and tray table) and a travel size of hand sanitizer.

10. DO pack a DVD player, battery pack, and a few DVDs. Although we generally do not let our son watch TV at home, all rules go out the window when we are trapped in a confined space for a few hours with fliers who may not have the same patience level for fussy children. Our son is particularly addicted to Sesame Street Elmo’s World collections - we highly recommend Babies, Dogs and More.

Remember, the trick is to conserve space and weight, but pack the essentials to keep your child nourished and entertained. Happy travels!

The TSA's explanation? Testing is much tougher today, as the mock bomb components are often no bigger than a pen cap. According to the visual from one TV report I saw, older tests used fake bombs with large, ticking clocks attached to taped-together sticks of dynamite. That's great for stopping Wile E. Coyote. It's probably not as effective for catching terrorists.

In these times, most passengers think about air safety whenever they fly. Parents traveling with children, or parents traveling without their children, may think about it even more. Will the latest news discourage anyone from taking trips? Probably not many. But, it may become more difficult to go through those security lines with a smile. When we use our one free arm to collapse and uncollapse strollers, remove infants' shoes for x-ray, and dump out sippy cups, we do so in the name of increased safety. If heightened procedures aren't yielding heightened results, maybe it's time to reevaluate.

October 17, 2007

I joined a very different kind of Mile High Club in August, 2007, on a little American Eagle propeller plane traveling from New York to Bangor, Maine. Our first flight of the morning (from Chicago to New York) was delayed, so we tore through LaGuardia Airport at light speed (only slowing down when we realized we had to go through security AGAIN), to get to our next flight. No time for a bathroom break in the airport - but so what, Travelin' Junior (TJ) still smelled fresh as a daisy! We raced up the steps to our tiny plane, ducked our heads going down the aisle, and strapped TJ's car seat in position. With five minutes to spare, I relaxed and enjoyed the take off.

That's when I smelled it. TJ had definitely stunk it up. On a plane that little, even I couldn't deny the stench radiating from my child. So, TJ and I headed to the lavatory. At first it all seemed sort of funny as I negotiated through the flimsy, narrow door frame with a 16-month old baby on my hip, diaper bag slung over my shoulder. Then, not so much. We were so tightly packed in there that I could hardly close the door. I searched for a changing station (button to flush toilet, check; sink, check; kleenex dispenser, check; toilet paper, check) - NO PLACE TO CHANGE TJ?! The counter was out of the question - it consisted only of a dollhouse-sized sink. The floor space was taken up by my feet. Hmmm . . . must get creative here.

The only possible flat-sized surface was the toilet seat. I put the lid down, and pulled out my ever-handy plastic travel changing pad (thank goodness I packed it!) I spread the pad on the toilet seat, and laid TJ down. He gave me an inquiring look - the top of his head was jammed against the wall, and his legs dangled into oblivion, but his butt was definitely on solid ground. Crouching to be at his level, I pulled off his shoes, pants (all while singing Old MacDonald so TJ wouldn’t be more freaked out than he already was - could the other passengers hear this?) - took off the Big Bird diaper, and gasped. What had this kid eaten? Ten wipes later, TJ’s bottom was clean, and I reversed the process - slapped on a fresh diaper and replaced the clothing and shoes. I jammed the loaded diaper and used wipes down the tiny trash chute (what else was I supposed to do with it?), rubbed on some hand sanitizer, and threw open the door with an enormous grin on my face. We did it! TJ and I had just become members of the diaper-change mile high club ("DCMHC"). Unfortunately, I don't think the next person to use that lavatory shared in our enthusiasm. . . .

October 16, 2007

I recently read with horror a USA Today article about a US Airways flight from NY to Phoenix that sat on the tarmac for seven hours at JFK before finally departing. That's miserable for any passenger. Now imagine having your young child sitting next to you. Having just finished another relatively successful travel experience with Travelin' Junior, Travelin' Mom and I got home and excitedly booked our next trip. Had we just stepped off that US Airways flight instead, I don't think we'd be nearly as quick to pull the travel trigger. Kids or no kids, you obviously always expect some problems on a trip. But, nobody bargains for a a seven-hour runway sit-in.

Problem is, you can't predict whether a flight you scheduled three months earlier will be affected by weather, or a maintenance issue, or the general mass chaos that is O'Hare air traffic (okay, that last one you can sort of see coming). Delay situations are all too common these days. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data show that you had only a 72% chance of arriving at your destination on time through August of this year. The BTS also noted over 150 flights that were grounded on the tarmac for three or more hours in August. Even though those flights make up way less than even 1/100th of a percent of total flights for the month, it still seems scary. I wouldn't be too jazzed if somebody told me I stood a .0002% chance of suffering severe emotional trauma today. Just check out the list: an American flight from Chicago to New York sat on the ground for 5 hours, 25 minutes, a United flight from Washington DC to San Francisco was grounded for 4 hours, 36 minutes, etc. These are pretty common, everyday flights we all take.

Long story short, you travel enough, you're going to get a clunker commute now and then. Realizing you occasionally have to pay your flight-delay dues might even help you cope with the wait while it's happening. But, that's a very tough concept to get across to children, who I've noticed tend to live in the now. When that "now" involves sitting in one place for five hours for no apparent reason, there's gonna be trouble.

So, what to do when you're stuck with your children on a grounded plane for several hours? Beats me. Although, I can say from limited experience that clicking your heels three times and wishing for home only works in movies. The only advice I'd give is to pack for that plane trip as if it were twice as long (i.e., twice the diapers, formula, food, toys, books you think you'll need), because there's a decent chance it just may be. Aside from that, I'd look to the "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" department and take steps to lower the chances of getting stuck on a delayed plane in the first place:

Book a direct flight. Twice the flights means twice the chance for delay, not to mention twice the hassle of boarding and deplaning. If you're considering more than one connection, you're either traveling from two unbelievably small cities or a masochist.

Take an early morning flight. While many business travelers swear by booking the first flight of the day, that's not very practical if it means rousing a toddler at 5:00 a.m. You might also run the risk of delays if flights are out of position from late-night delays the previous day. So, just try to get one of the earlier flights of the day, before the cumulative plane logjam piles up the delays. At the very least, try to avoid evening flights, when delays have piled up and more storms tend to occur.

Fly on off-peak days. Before Travelin' Junior came along, Travelin' Mom and I joined the masses in the Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving/Sunday-after-Thanksgiving fly-a-thon. Now, we fly out early Thanksgiving morning and return Monday afternoon, which (at least so far) has minimized flight delays and made for much easier airport experiences. The same holds true for avoiding typical business travel days like Sunday, Monday, and Friday.

Fly bigger, newer planes when possible. They may be more capable of flying through weather and thus less prone to delays/grounding.

All things being equal, fly from/to the less crowded airport. While it may not be worth going out of your way, if you're neutral about where you fly out of Chicago, you'll stand a better chance of avoiding delays at Midway Airport than O'Hare. Same holds true for places like Long Beach airport rather than LAX, or Long Island rather than LaGuardia or JFK.

Since none of these tips are exactly earth-shattering to those of us who have flown the friendly skies before, I'll give you one other very helpful tip you may not know about: Check out the website avoiddelays.com. It'll help you do just what the name says. The site contains advice from air traffic controllers about avoiding flight delays. That's like getting advice from day care providers about avoiding meltdowns. Among other things, avoiddelays.com provides lists of the most delayed flights, wost departure and arrival airports, worst times to fly into or out of those airports, and average delays for specific airlines and airports. Spending five minutes checking out these statistics before booking your flight could save you several hours of delay-induced pain later on. Unless you've figured out how to make that heel-clicking thing work. . . .

October 15, 2007

It appears some parents are more annoyed than I am with Southwest's boarding policy change, as they've actually started their own website. The group "Stop Southwest Preboard" (a name I'm not sure accurately reflects their platform; maybe Southwestpunishesparents.com was already taken) is urging traveling parents to voice their displeasure to Southwest over its elimination of family preboarding, including signing an online petition. Unfortunately, it looks like the petition has garnered only seven signatures so far. Maybe all the other parents are too busy searching for family-friendly flight options.

October 11, 2007

You know how they say getting there is half the battle? Sometimes it's even more than that. My wife (Travelin' Mom), son (Travelin' Junior), and I just returned from a great long weekend in New York after surviving a not-so-great start to the commute there. First, a little background: TJ is somewhat high-energy/high-maintenance in general, but has always been a good traveler, especially since TM and I added our "silver bullet"-- a portable DVD player capable of rocking an Elmo-a-thon at any critical time. Although we felt confident in our bag of travel tricks, TJ had been getting over a cold and was uncharacteristically crabby the days before the trip, so we knew things could be different (Note: I think this is what English teachers call "foreshadowing."). Suffice it to say, "different" is being kind:

8:20 Arrive at metal detector. Begin juggling act of two people getting baggage for three, a car seat, a stroller, and a small, unhappy child all through metal detector. While taking shoes on and off.

8:21: Told to remove DVD player from case for x-ray screening.

8:21: TJ sees DVD player heading to x-ray and evidently thinks Elmo is being executed.

8:21- forever: (TJ, wailing, flailing) "Elno! Elno! Elno!"

8:25: Wailing continues. We get "those" looks from passersby.

8:26: I show TJ the DVD player back safely in our custody. He continues wailing, unabated.

8:27: I hold my bawling, snot-gushing son up over my head and announce I have a lost baby I'd like someone to claim. Please. Quickly. Only Travelin' Mom laughs. Passersby shoot even worse looks at me.

8:30: TJ finally calms down upon discovering the toy store wisely placed on the other side of security. I hold my breath as a store employee plays with a two-foot tall, talking Elmo. I ponder how I'll squeeze it into our already-overstuffed carry-on. Mercifully, TJ never notices. Things are looking up.

8:50: TJ gets restless, constantly saying "beep, beep." We let him walk around and quickly discover what "beep-beep" means, as he darts to the security door keypad, index finger poised for some button pushin'.

8:51: I sweep TJ up at the last second and explain how we're not allowed to touch the airport security door. He remains unconvinced and throws a smaller-scale tantrum. Small potatoes after Elmo's last rights back in security. I almost chuckle.

9:05: We mercifully board and try to pick seats a safe distance from anyone already boarded. Unfortunately, our plane is less than ten miles long, so we settle for a two-row buffer zone from humanity.

10:00: After a half hour sitting on the runway and a half hour in flight, we give up hope that TJ will nap. We pull out the DVD player in defeat. Behold, the power of Elmo. The rest of the flight is uneventful. I spend it quietly praying that the travel gene does not skip a generation.

October 03, 2007

Just in time for the holiday travel season, the Transportation Security Administration announced that travelers who bring remote control devices in carry-on baggage may encounter additional airport screening. According to the New York Times, the additional screening could include pat downs of children carrying remote-controlled toys.

My two favorite pieces of information from the New York Times Article:

(1) The federal authorities considered simply making the change at airports in the United States without announcing it. (Hmmm, that's strange. They've never cavity-searched little Billy before. . . ); and

(2) A TSA spokeswoman said that the new scrutiny for remote-control toys will not extend to television remote controls. (You know, if somebody's bringing a remote control for their television set on an airplane, you may actually want to subject them to a little heightened scrutiny.)

No word yet on whether the TSA will mimic its bottled water policy and allow passengers to carry on remote control toys purchased in the airport at 300% markup.

October 02, 2007

Beginning in early November, Southwest Airlines trades in its cattle call boarding procedure for something slightly more civilized. No, they haven't gone so establishment that they'll actually issue you an assigned seat. But, they have listened to complaints about needing to queue up in your letter group an hour before departure time and have fine-tuned their process. Now, in addition to getting a boarding pass in group A,B or C, passengers also receive a number from 1 through 45 within that group. According to the nifty little illustration on their website, it appears that passengers will board within subgroups of five (i.e., A1-5, A6-10, etc.), thus eliminating the need to stand in line all day to assure that Mr. B44 doesn't snake a seat that rightfully belongs to your B1 boarding pass.

In addition to this major development, today Southwest begins a less-publicized policy change that impacts those traveling with children. Southwest will no longer automatically pre-board passengers with small children before group A. Instead, families with children under four will now board between the A and B boarding groups (Note: Southwest's website also says that families with an A boarding pass will board with the A group. Gee, thanks). While the rationale for the A/B/C boarding groups' numbered subgroups makes sense, the reasoning behind the child boarding change is less clear. What efficiency is served by having families with children board between the A and B groups, rather than before group A? Other than the efficiency of ticking off 45 less people, that is.

So, it looks like your days of lolly-gagging your way to a C-group pass, then jumping the line with your pre-boarding bundle of joy are over. For those of you who had kids just to guarantee yourself the best seat on Southwest, you'll now have to hop on your computer 23 hours and 59 minutes (give or take 60 seconds) prior to your departure time to receive the same seating options. Or, if that seems like too much work, you can also pay $5 per ticket to this website, which I admittedly have not yet tested.